In this 2012 report, Nielsen takes an in-depth look at the profile of the
investor consumer. What is the optimal age for investing, and how does
this differ by geographic region? How do investment decisions change
with maturity? Are women more risk averse than men and how much risk is
too much? What information sources are most reliable and which channels
are emerging as credible transaction centers?

As global
economies continue to focus on ways to accelerate economic growth,
consumers too are looking for ways to bolster their budgets. Nielsen’s
Global Consumer Confidence Survey shows that over the past year,
consumers around the world have increased their saving strategies. Half
of online respondents worldwide say they are putting spare cash into
savings—an increase of 11 percent since May 2011 and nearly one-fourth
(23%) indicate they are investing in stocks and mutual funds—a
year-over-year rise of 35 percent.

Investment decisions and matters of personal wealth vary by gender, age and geographic region:

Globally, men are 36% more active than women with investments

Women are 25% more likely than men to rely on friends and family for advice on personal finance matters

Investors rely more on themselves when making investment decisions than on any other information source

Investors in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are the youngest; North Americans are oldest

When
it comes to investing, stocks are favored over other investment
options, such as mutual funds, precious metals, bonds, structured
investment products, foreign currency or derivatives in all regions
except Latin America, where mutual funds are preferred. In Latin
America, the results are likely due to product availability rather than
product knowledge.

The common belief is that the older you are,
the more informed and rational you become—especially when it comes to
financial volatility and investment decisions. However, Nielsen’s survey
findings reveal differences in the demographic profile of investors in
different regions, where a noteworthy share of investor consumers are
found among older consumers in North America, Europe and Latin America.

Cash is king when it comes to how consumers around the world prefer to
pay for general shopping, dining, traveling or entertainment expenses,
but more than half of global respondents indicate they use credit cards
and 43 percent use debit cards as a common payment method. Global usage
of electronic wallets and checks are lowest at 15 percent and 10
percent, respectively.

New findings from a Nielsen online
survey of respondents from 56 countries around the world provide
insights to better understand the consumer mindset on investment
strategies and the emerging opportunities across both the developed and
developing economic landscapes. The study is based on online consumers
who have indicated they currently use investment services, which include
stocks, mutual funds, bonds, certificate of deposit, local and overseas
stocks, derivative tools and foreign currency for investment purposes.